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Commercial Building Permit — Moab, Utah · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-19 · Source: https://www.moabcity.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5083/ORD-CC-2025-08
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Commercial Building Permit in Moab, Utah
Required for new commercial construction in Moab. Uses the same generic valuation-based Building Permit Fee table (Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165) as residential, but the Master Fee Schedule publishes a dedicated 'Plan review — commercial' section with its own nonrefundable plan-review deposit (10% of the building permit fee, $260 minimum — vs. the residential deposit's flat $170), plus a distinct hourly rate for additional commercial plan reviews. Fire Department review is required on all commercial applications.
Verified 2026-07-19 · Source
When you need this permit
- New commercial construction
- Any work regulated by the current-statewide 2024 IBC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a))
- Site plan submittal showing lot dimensions and building placement
- COMcheck energy code compliance documentation
- Utah State Contractor's License and Moab municipal business license for the general contractor and any subcontractors Contractor
- Fire Department review — marked 'REQUIRED ON ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS' on the official Building Permit Application form
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, as amended by Ordinance #2025-08)Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165 'Building permit (by total valuation)' — re-verified 2026-07-19 by direct PDF extraction of the current codified Chapter 3.50 (current through Ordinance 25-01, Jan 28, 2025). One generic table applies to both residential and commercial; see the Residential Building Permit type for the full tier table.
Same sliding-scale table as residential (e.g. $1,229.30 for the first $100,000 + $6.72 per additional $1,000 for $100,001-$500,000)
Nonrefundable Commercial Plan Deposit (initial plan review — new construction, tenant finish, and/or major remodel)Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, 'Plan review — commercial' section, re-verified 2026-07-19 by direct PDF text extraction: 'Nonrefundable commercial plan deposit for initial plan review only for new construction, tenant finish, and/or major remodel — 10% building permit fee; $260.00 minimum.' This explicitly covers new commercial construction (the deposit applies to the same line item used for the Commercial Tenant Improvement permit type below).
10% of building permit fee; $260.00 minimum
Commercial Plan Review — Additional Review(s)Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, 'Plan review — commercial' section: 'Commercial plan review and additional plan review(s) required due to changes, corrections, additions, and/or revisions to plans — $85.00/hr; 1-hour minimum charge.' Re-verified 2026-07-19.
$85.00/hr; 1-hour minimum charge
Deferred SubmittalMoab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, 'Plan review — commercial' section, requires prior approval by the Building Official.
$170.00/submittal
Outside Consultants (plan review and/or inspections)Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, 'Plan review — commercial' section.
Actual costs plus 10%
State Building Code Training Fund Surcharge ('State 1%')Statutory pass-through per Utah Code Title 58-56; applies to commercial the same as residential.
1% of the building permit fee
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
- 1
Fire Department
Fire Department review is marked 'REQUIRED ON ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS' on the official Building Permit Application — a mandatory routing/approval step not required on all residential applications.
- 2
Building Department
Core building inspection and final Building Department approval sign-off. Inspections scheduled by phone at (435) 259-5129; 24-hour advance notice required.
- 3
Zoning Administrator
Zoning compliance sign-off.
- 4
Engineering
Engineering review and approval sign-off.
- 5
Health Department
Applicable to commercial food service, septic, or water systems.
- 6
Final Inspection
Completed work verified before occupancy.
See the full Moab inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Moab's commercial plan-review deposit (10% of the building permit fee, $260 minimum) explicitly covers 'new construction, tenant finish, and/or major remodel' — the SAME deposit line item applies to both new commercial construction and commercial tenant improvements, per Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165.
- Fire Department review is mandatory on every commercial application in Moab, per the official Building Permit Application form — budget time for this sign-off, which residential applications do not universally require.
- Additional commercial plan reviews (beyond the initial one covered by the 10% deposit) are billed hourly at $85/hr with a 1-hour minimum — plan for extra cost if your project needs multiple correction/revision cycles.
- A site-specific soils report is not separately called out in Moab's own materials the way it is in Brigham City's or Box Elder County's — confirm directly with the Building Department whether one will be required for your specific commercial project under the state-adopted 2024 IBC.
- No distinct fire sprinkler or fire alarm system permit/plan-review fee is published by either the City of Moab or Moab Valley Fire Protection District (the special district that provides fire service to the Moab area, separate from the City). Moab's own Master Fee Schedule (Chapter 3.50) lists only a water-utility 'Fire sprinkler system connection fee,' billed at 'actual cost to perform the connection' — this is a water-tap fee for connecting a fire sprinkler system to the culinary water main, not a fire-code plan-review or system-installation permit fee. Fire suppression/alarm work is understood to be reviewed as part of the mandatory Fire Department sign-off on the commercial Building Permit Application (see above) rather than through a separately-priced permit; confirm current requirements directly with Moab Valley Fire Protection District (435-259-5557) before budgeting.
- Moab has no standalone Change of Use or Change of Occupancy permit, and no CO-verification/re-issuance fee separate from new construction: the City's own definition of 'building permit' (Moab Municipal Code § 17.06.020) already covers work to 'alter or change the use of a building or other structure,' the Master Fee Schedule (Ordinance #2025-08, moabcity.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5083) has no 'change of use,' 'change of occupancy,' or 'existing building' fee line, and the City's own Release for Certificate of Occupancy form (moabcity.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3009/C-of-O-Release-Form) requires an active Building Permit No. to be issued — confirming a Certificate of Occupancy in Moab is tied to a live building permit, not a standalone existing-building verification process. A use/occupancy classification change is expected to be processed as a standard Commercial Building Permit review; confirm with the Building Department at (435) 259-5129 for project-specific scope.
Frequently asked questions
Moab requires a commercial building permit for: New commercial construction; Any work regulated by the current-statewide 2024 IBC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)); Site plan submittal showing lot dimensions and building placement; COMcheck energy code compliance documentation; Utah State Contractor's License and Moab municipal business license for the general contractor and any subcontractors; Fire Department review — marked 'REQUIRED ON ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS' on the official Building Permit Application form. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) at (435) 259-5129 before starting work.
Per Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, the nonrefundable commercial plan deposit for initial plan review is 10% of the building permit fee, with a $260.00 minimum — this covers new construction, tenant finish, and/or major remodel projects alike. Additional plan reviews beyond the initial one are billed at $85/hr with a 1-hour minimum.
Moab does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) at (435) 259-5129 for current turnaround.
You'll need: Building Permit Application; COMcheck; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Moab requires 6 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Fire Department, Building Department, Zoning Administrator, Engineering, Health Department, Final Inspection. Schedule each through Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) ((435) 259-5129).
Apply through Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) at 217 East Center Street, Moab, UT 84532. Phone: (435) 259-5129, email: permitting@moabcity.gov. Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Official information: https://www.moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection.
Moab, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a), superseding the 2021 IBC. Moab City's official Building Inspection page (moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection) embeds a hidden 'BUILDING CODE' tab whose content is the verbatim text of an old snapshot of Utah Code § 15A-2-103 — live-inspected via DOM extraction 2026-07-16, that embedded text lists only 'Appendix J' (not C and J) and links frozen statute-version pages from 2014-2019, indicating the city's page predates even the pre-7/1/2026 code cycle, let alone the current one. The statute controls regardless of the city page's lag.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b) did NOT change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. Matches the (otherwise stale) statute text embedded on Moab's page.; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); Moab's embedded page text instead cites 'Appendix Q of the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code' (an older statute numbering, live-inspected 2026-07-16) — reproduced verbatim as history; the current statute's Appendix AQ is added here as the operative citation.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d), superseding the 2021 IPC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IPC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e), superseding the 2021 IMC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IMC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f), superseding the 2021 IFGC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IFGC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i), superseding the 2021 IEBC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IEBC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide-mandatory edition per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); UNCHANGED by the 7/1/2026 amendment (the 2023 NEC baseline predates this code cycle). Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2020 NEC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, one edition behind the statewide-mandatory floor. Per Utah Code § 15A-1-204 (statewide-mandatory construction code), the 2023 NEC governs regardless of the city's own page.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), single unsplit statewide edition — CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h) (no residential/commercial split under current law), superseding Moab's residential/commercial split. Moab's embedded page text still cites 'Residential provisions of the 2015 edition' and 'Commercial provisions of the 2021 edition' of the IECC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, preserved as history — both are now collapsed into the single current 2024 IECC. The statute controls.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); not present anywhere in the statute text Moab's own page embeds (live-inspected 2026-07-16 — that embedded text predates the ISPSC's addition to § 15A-2-103 and instead references now-superseded mobile/manufactured-home provisions), added here per the current statute.; Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(o); not present in the statute text Moab's own page embeds, added here per the current statute.; All per Moab City's official Building Inspection Department page (moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection), consistent with Utah Code § 15A-2-103 statewide code adoption.; NOTE (2026-07-16 re-verification): Utah Code § 15A-2-103, version effective 7/1/2026 (superseded 1/1/2027), took effect 15 days before this re-verification. IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IECC/IEBC/residential ISPSC are now 2024 statewide; IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did NOT change. Moab's Building Inspection page (moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection) was live-inspected 2026-07-16 via DOM extraction of its hidden 'BUILDING CODE' tab panel, which turns out to embed the raw text of an old snapshot of § 15A-2-103 itself (with hyperlinks to frozen statute-version pages dated 2014-2019) rather than a city-authored summary — meaning Moab's page is not merely one cycle behind but reflects a substantially older statute snapshot (pre-dating even the introduction of the residential ISPSC provision). The current statewide statute, read live at le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html, controls over this stale embedded text.. Local amendments apply — see the Moab overview page for the full list.
Yes. The official City of Moab Building Permit Application marks Fire Department comments as 'REQUIRED ON ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS.'
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-19.
Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Moab building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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